A wedding is a very special time; two people are getting married and are about
to begin to live their lives together. It is a time to celebrate, to have fun,
for family to be togther, and to rejoice in the couple's happiness. Since a
wedding is such a special occasion, a wedding typically merits a lot of time,
resources, energy, and planning. In terms of planning and resources, one of
the most important things to think about is how to decorate for the wedding.
Wedding decorating tasks most certainly include the reception hall decorations
and the wedding ceremony decorations. Wedding decorating also can involve
decorating for the pre-wedding parties such as the bridal shower or for other
family gatherings. This article will generally focus on decorating for the
wedding ceremony and the wedding reception.

One of the first tasks to do when you are considering how to decorate ofr the
wedding is to get a color scheme. This color scheme is extremely important
since it serves as the unifying factor for all the rest of the wedding
decorating. Since the bride is generally dressed in white, white is usually
one main color for the wedding; however, it doesn't have to be. White is a
good color since it matched almost every other color and it is a soothing color
that can be used as a complement. Color scheme selection involves a large
number of items that need to be taken into consideration. The overall color
scheme can take into account the tones and structure of the buildings that the
wedding ceremony and the wedding reception will be in. The wedding colors can
also involve the bridesmaid dresses, tablecloths, centerpieces, wedding favors,
plates, silverware, and room decorations. Some popular color schemes are burgundy,
hunter green, navy blue, violet, orange, brown, pink, light blue, and yellow.

In terms of decorating styles, many brides and groom choose colors that match
the season. For fall, browns orange and reds are popular. For winter, green
and red are popular. While summer and spring typically feature pastel colors
and bright colors that celebrate the verdant season. One item that can be used
to match the season is the table centerpieces for a reception. The decorations
at the church or reception hall can also have a seasonal factor. For example,
one wedding I attended in late december used red and green as the colors to
decorate the sanctuary and the reception hall. The colors reflected the holiday
season and the church was decorated with seasonal greens made of pinecones and
branches. The front of the sanctuary was decorated with elegant pointsettas
that bloomed red and the reception hall had pine and ornaments to complement
the earth tones in the wood beams on the ceiling.

Another key to decorating is to match the decorations to the environment. If
you are having the reception outside in an exotic location, you may want to
match the location with your decorations. If it is a breezy day, you may want
to have flaglike decorations that gently blow in the wind to create the effect
of motion. If the location that you are decorating is elegant, you may want
to have the wedding favors and the wedding centerpieces match the wedding decor.
If the reception hall is plain or common, you may want to spice it up with
bright colors that can accentuate things. You can also accentuate a common
room with bright table cloths or place settings as well. If your reception is
outdoors in a giant heated tent (some couples choose to do this and it can be
elegant) you may want to use drapping decorations that enhance the tent
atmosphere.

When you are setting up a reception hall or ceremony location, you should also
make sure that the room is organized the way that you want it before you begin
to decorate. The tables should be arranged in the way you desire; just make
sure that there is enough room for guests to pass between the tables. Also be
sure not too have too many guests seated at a table. Many weddings have the
tables arranged in rows throughout the room with the head table a different
shape or near the front of the room. Be sure to think about where the bar, DJ,
dance floor, and cake cutting ceremonies will take place. Also be sure to
layout the room so that when the bridal party enters, your guests' attention
will be on them. Some brides elect to have a table near the door for
wedding favors. Other prefer to have the
wedding favors for
guests on the table.